Distributive-printing addressing machine



April 5, 1930. H. EWHUBBARD 1,754,361

DISTRIBUTIVE PRINTING ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 31, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 15, 1930. H. E. HUBBARD DISTRIBUTIVE PRINTING ADDRESSINQ MACHINE Filed Dec. 31, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet April 15, 1930. H. E. HUBBARD DISTRIBUTIVE PRINTING ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 51. 1927 5 sheets sheet 5- April 15, 1930. H. E. HUBBARD DISTRIBUTIVE PRINTING ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 31, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 r 52% gr April 15, 1930.

H. E. HUBBARD DISTRIBUTIVE PRINTING ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 31, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY E. HUBBARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 ADDRESSOGRAPH COM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE DISTRIBUTIVE-PRIN TING ADDRESSING MACHINE Application. filed December 81, 1927. Serial No. 243,843.

This invention relates to addressing machines and its object is to provide an attachment for the machine whereby parts of a printing form may be printed in different positions on a sheet to be readable in a straight line across the sheet adjacent the top edge or adjacent the bottom edge or at some other location on the sheet.

Another object of the invention is to move the sheet laterally in a right line and to move the printing device forwardly in a ri ht line in successive operations whereby to istribute impressions of parts of the printing form in a straight line across a sheet.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment for printing machmes wherein provision is made for distributively printing parts of a multiple line printing device in a straight reading-line at the bottom or at the top of the sheet.

The invention also has for its object to provide an attachment comparatively simple in construction, which can be easily attached to and detached from a printing machine and which does not require especial skill to operate it. a

The invention can be applied to printing machines of different kinds and for the purposes of this application I have shown it applied to a hand addressing machine of the kind set forth in Letters Patent No. 1,274,350 patented July 13, 1918.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the machine with the attachment ap lied thereto, the platen being omitted an the stamper arm being shown in section to more clearly disclose the attachment.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the attachment.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the frame of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 4--4 of Fig. 1 showing the parts in full lines in the position they will occupy for a printing operation when the machine is set for consecutive printing, which is also the position these parts will occupy for the first printing operation when the machine is set for triplicating and distributive printing.

of a portion utive printing.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8--8 of Flg. 1.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1

Fig. 10is a sectional view on the line l0-10 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings 1 is a stamper or platen arm carrying a platen 2 and having a handle 3 and pivoted at 4 on the main frame 5 adjacent the magazine 6 which is supplied with a stack of printing devices 7. The printing devices are fed forward one at a. time by an intermittent movement from the magazine to printing position and are then deposited in a receiver 8. These feeding devices comprise spring pressed dogs 9 pivoted on side bars 10 of a slide frame which travel on grooved rolls 11, Fig. 4, and are connected by a yoke 12, Fig. 5. A rocker 13 is pivoted at its lower end to the main frame at 14 and is pivotally connected at its upper end at 15 to one end of the yoke 12 which is pivotally connected at its other end to the side bars 10 of the slide frame at 16. A push pawl 17 and a pull pawl 18 are pivotally mounted side by side at 19 on the lower forwardly projecting end of the stamper arm, and these pawls are held by springs 20 in position to en age a cross bar 21 on the rocker 13 where y the printing device feed slide is reciprocated with the movement of the stamper arm in ordinary consecutive printing operations.

The machine may be adapted for repeating or for multiple printing, as set forth in the patent before mentioned, and for this pur-' l8 a 18 constantly in operative positlon.

- of the machine, for consecutive printing, for

repeating, or for multiple printing, and the machine may be constructed for different multiple printing operations. On Fig. 1 of the drawings I have indicated by T that the machine may be set for triplicating, by G for consecutive printing and by R forqppeating. The normal operation of the machine is for consecutive printing with the pawls 17 and For repetition rintin a yoke 25, Figs. 4, 5 is mounted rigi ly on t e setting rod 22 and it has a rearward extension 26 which is guided on the cross rod 26' in the main frame. This yoke has a rigid arm which is arranged to engage the ush pawl'17 on the downward movement 0 the stamper arm to prevent the pawl from engaging the pin 21 on the upward movement of the stamper arm which is. the feeding movement of the printing device feed slide. Therefore the feed slide will remain in rearward position, as shown in Fig. 7, throughout repetition printing and the pull pawl 18 will ride on the cam 27 carried by the rocker 13.

For triplicate printing a cam 28, Fig. 7, and a ratchet wheel 29, Fig. 4, are rigidly mounted on a shaft 30 supported in the yoke 25. A pawl 31 is pivoted on the lower forwardly rojecting end of the stamper arm, Figs. 4, and it is arranged to engage and operate the ratchet wheel on the downward movement of the stamper arm for triplicate printing, but this pawl does not engage the ratchet wheel for consecutive printing, or for repetition printing. This is accomplished by moving the yoke with the setting rod to carry the ratchet wheel into or out of operative relation to the pawl 31. The cam 28 engages and operates an arm 25", which is pivoted between its ends at 33 on the yoke 25. The cam eng es the rear end of the lever arm 25 and the orward end thereof is adapted to prevent the push pawl 17 from engaging the cross bar 21, thereby preventing the operation of the feed slide which remains at rest in rearward position, Fig. 7, during triplicate printing. The cam is so shaped that while it will be turned a step at each operation of the machine, through the operation of the awl 31 and ratchet wheel 29, it will continue Huring multiple printing, which in this case is triplicating, to hold the pivoted lever arm 25" in position to prevent the push pawl 17 from moving the printing device feed slide forward on the upward movement of the stamper arm; but after the multiple printing operation is completed the cam will permit spring 34 to depress the forward end of the lever arm so that it will not engage the push pawl and thereupon the push pawl will engage the cross bar 21 and the feed slide will be operated-to feed another printing device into printing position. T

The. stamper arm is depressed manually, butit is returned to up position by a spring 35 attached to the arm and to a part of the main frame, Fig. 4. A spring 35 is attached to the yoke 12 and to a part of the main frame .to operate as a safety device to hold the feed slide in retracted position during repetition printing and during multiple printmg: A cushioned stop 36 engages a fixed part 37 of theframe to limitthe rearward movement of the feed slide, Fig. 7 An ink ribbon 38, Fig. 1, is arranged across printing position above the printing device in printing position and may be mounted and provided with a riibbon feed as shown in the patent aforesai The printing devices are ordinarily supplied with three or more lines of type characters embossed thereon to print a three line address and it is an object of this invention to provide simple means which can be made in the form of an attachment adapted to be detachably engaged with an addressing machine, one type of which has been heretofore described, to print the three lines of type end to end in a straight reading line across a sheet by moving the printing device forwardly an d the sheet laterally one step at each printing operation and without moving the sheet forwardly during the distributive printing. To enable the machine to print three lines of type in a single reading line, as just described, the machine must be set for triplicating; and it will be understood that the machine must be set for multiple printing to correspond with the number of printing operations required for disributing the impressions from the several lines of type on the printing device in a straight reading line according to our invention. I am disclosing the invention as adapted for printing three of the type lines in a straight reading line, but it will be understood that it may be adapted to print two lines or more than three lines.

The attachment which is shown on the machine in Fig. 1 and detached from the machine in Fig. 2comprises a bracket frame 39 which is secured by screws 39' to the main frame 5. A carriage 40 provided with a rod 41 engaged with lugs 42 on the bracket frame is adapted to be moved manually from left to right of thebracket frame, and under the influence of a tension wire 43, in a spring barrel 44, from right to left in an intermittent movement the steps of which are controlled by a spring pressed locking dog 45 pivotally mounted on the bracket frame 39 and engaging one of a series of notches in a rack bar 46 on the carriage. A rocker 47 is pivotally mounted in the bracket frame and 1t carries adpivoted spring ressed release dog 48 adapt- Q to release the ocking dog momentarily from the rack bar 46 to permit the tension wire to pull the carriage to the left, the release dog being quickly disengaged from the looking dog to permit the lockln dog to engage the next notch of the rack ar to stop the movement of the carriagefrom right to left at the end of a step in its movement. The rocker has an arm 47 which is detachabl-y connected by a link 47" I to a part of the stam er arm whereby the rocker is positlvely oscill dted by the movement of the stamper arm to co-ordinate the movement of the carriage with the movement of the stamper arm. The carriage is cut away in front of the bracket frame at 40', Figs. 1, 2, toexpose the ribhon 38 and the printin device 7, and a shield 49 is secured to the un erside of the carriage and projects over the ribbon to protect the sheet from engagement therewith, but 18 provided with a. slot 50 through which a single line of type characters of the printing device may make a printing impression upon the sheet. This slot 50 maybe continuous and of suifi cient length to permit three lines of type characters to make end for end printing 1mpressions in a single reading line on the sheet, but I prefer to make the slot in discontlnuous sections, as shown in Flgs. 1 and 2, for strength and rigidity. A margin gauge 51 is adjustably secured to the carriage at the right side thereof and movable stops 52, 52' project up through oppositely directed are shaped slots 53, 53 .in the carriage and are carried by arms 54, 54 pivotally secured at.

56, 56 on the underside of the carriage and held in adjusted position by the set screws 57, 57 operating in slots 58, 58' The margin gauge and the stops areprovlded to enable the operator to quickly position the sheet 1n initial printing position on the carriage, and the sheet is held in this position by a clamping device comprising an arm 59 pivotally mounted on the carriage and carrying a clam 60 which is pivoted midway between its en s at 60' to the arm and carries buttons 60" to engage the sheet. The clamp is normally held in operative position by a spring 59 and it is provided with a handle 61 by which the arm can be rocked on its pivot to lift the clamp from the sheet. Another handle 62 is conveniently located on the clamp arm for moving the carriage to the right. These devices are the sole invention of Cecil C. McCain and are more fully set forth in his application Serial No. 337,054 filed Feb. 2, 1919.

A rock shaft 63 mounted in the rocker 47 is provided with a lug 63 engaged by an adjusting screw 63" on the rocker whereby upward movement of the stamper. arm will cause the rocker to impart a clockwise movement to the rock shaft,'Fig. 9. This rock shaft carries a plurality of feed pawls 64 having, in this adaptation of the invention, three teeth 64, Fig. 8 The pawls are adapted to engage a printing device for line spacing it for distributive printing and they are held under tension of springs 66 attached to the rear ends of the pawls and to the bracket frame. A strong spring 67 is attached to the rock shaft and to the bracket frame for returning the rock shaft to normal position after it has been rocked clockwise to move the feed pawls in a forward feeding stroke. The set screw 63 on the .rocker engages the lug 63' to cause the rock shaft to move clockwise with the rocker on the upward stroke of the stamp or arm and this set screw can be adjusted to vary the forward stroke of the feed pawls. Another set screw 68 on the carriage frame engages the lug 63' to limit the return move ment of the rock shaft. B adjusting these two set screws 63 and 68 t e rocking movement of the rock shaft may be changed. Screw studs 69 in the bracket frame form journals for the rocker 47 and for the rockshaft 63 to permit the rocker and the rock shaftto rock conjointly and separately.

To distribute impressions of a three line type form' in a straight reading line on the sheet, the machine is set for triplicating and the stamper arm is operated to bring a printmg device into printing position. Then the carnage is moved to the limit of its movement to the right and a sheet is arranged on the carriage and beneath the clamp. At this time the feed pawls 64 rest upon the printing device with the rear teeth thereof back of the rear edge of the printing device. The stamper arm is then depressed and an impression is taken of the third line of the three line address form which would ordinarily be the city and state line. On the downward movement of the stamper arm, as indicated in broken lines in Figs. 4 and 7, the feed pawls 64 are moved rearward sufiiciently to permit the tooth of each pawl next I to the rearmost tooth to engage the edge of the printing device on the forward movement of these pawls which is caused by the upward movement of the stamper arm. The rocker 47 rocks on the upward movement of the stamper arm and causes the release dog operative position below the locking dog.

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On the first down movement of the stamper arm the release dog is carried by the locking dog to the positlon shown in Fig. 8 and since the release dog is pivoted and spring pressed it will yield to pass the locking dog. On the second down movement of the stamper arm the middle type line, which is ordinarily the street address line, is printed and the operation proceeds as before and on the third down movement of the stam er arm the first type line, which is ordinari y the name line, will be printed. Since the impressions are made on the under side of the sheet successively from right to left thereof the name, the street address and the city and state impressions will appear in a straight reading line across the sheet, and the sheet may be arranged in the machine so that this line will appear adjacent the top edge of the sheet. After the distributive printing operation thus described the printing device feed functions to feed the next printing device into printin position, the carriage is shifted to the rig t, a fresh sheet is clamped in place and the distributive printing operation is repeated as before.

If it is desired to print the line adjacent the bottom edge of the sheet, the form of the printing device is reversed in position thereon so that the city and state line will print first, and the sheet is arranged with its bottom edge in printing position.

The invention may be used for printing on sheets, cards, or any other material and. we use the word sheet herein in a broad sense to include all such materials. It will be noted that the sheet moves laterally but does not move otherwise during the distributive printing operation, which is especially desirable where the distributive printing is done on relatively large sheets. The sheet does not move relatively to the carriage in which it is clamped and this insures proper alignment of the several distributive prlnting lmpressions. The printing device is fed to line space it for distributive printing in a forwardly direction in the same manner that it is fed in the machine for ordinary printing except that the feeding movement at each operation is less than for the ordinary printing. The invention is comparatively simple in construction and operation, it requires no manipulation of parts during this distributive printing operation since it is only neces- I sary to adjust the carriage and register the sheet in printing position after which the parts are automatically operated by the stamper arm to make the several impressions in end to end alignment. I

The invention can be applied to other machines than the one herein selected for illustration and changes in the form, constructionand arran ement of parts may bemade there- I in for this and other purposes within the the stamper arm, means for moving a sheet to be printed in a right line in successive steps through printin position, and means for moving the printing device one type line corresponding with each step movement of the sheet.

2. In an addressing machine for making impressions from printin devices having a plurality of lines of type characters, the combination of a stamper arm, a platen carried by the stamper arm, means operated by the stamper arm'for moving a sheet to be printed in a right line in successive steps through printing position, and means operated by the stamper arm for moving the printing device one type line corresponding with each step movement of the sheet.

3. In an addressing machine for making impressions from printin devices having a lurality of lines of type characters, the comination of means for feeding the pnating devices one at a time into printing position, a stamper arm, a platen carried by the stamper arm, means for causing the printing device to remain in printing position during a number of operations of the stamper arm corresponding with the number of lines of type characters on the printingdevice to be printed, a carriage adapted to carry a sheet to be print: ed in a right line in successive steps through printing position, means for holding the sheet.

on the carriage, and means for moving the carriage and sheet laterally one step after each impression stroke of the stamper arm.

4. In an addressing machine for making impressions from rintin devices having a plurality of lines 0? typec aracters, the combination of means for feeding the printing devices one at a time into printing position, a stamper arm, a platen carried by the stamper arm, means for causing the printing device to remain in printing position during a number of operations of the stamper arm corresponding with the number of lines of type charac ters on the printing device to be printed, a carriage adapted to carry a sheet to be printed in a right line in successive steps through printing position, means for holding the sheet on the carriage, and means for moving the printing device forwardly one type line after each impression stroke of the stamper arm.

5. In an addressing machine for making impressions from printin devices having a plurality of lines of type c aracters, the combination of means for feeding the printing devices one at a time into printing position, a stamper arm, a platen carried by the stamper arm, means for causing the printing device to remain in printin position during a number of operations of the stamper arm corresponding with the number of lines of type characters on the printing device to be printed, a carriage adapted to carry a sheet to be printed in a right line in successive steps through printing position, means for holding the sheeton the carriage, and means for movmg the carriage and sheet laterally onestep and the printing device forwardl one type line during the up movement of-t e stamper arm after each impression stroke.

6. An attachment for addressing machines comprising a frame, a carriage movable in a on the frame engaging said rack, a rocker and a right line on the frame, means for moving the carriage, rack and locking dog devices on the frame and carriage, -means for feedin a printing device, and means for simultan'eously operating said feeding means to feed the printing devlce forwardly and, releasing said pawl to feed the carriage laterally.

7. An attachment for printing machines comprising a frame, a carriage movable in a right line on the frame, means for moving the carriage, a rack on the carriage, a locking dog on the frame engaging said rack, a rocker on the frame, a rock shaft movable conjointlywith and relatively to the rocker, means on the rocker for releasing the locking dog, means operated by the rock shaft for feeding a printing device, and means for operating the rocker and rock shaft.

8. An attachment for addressing machines comprising a frame, a carriage movable in a right line on the frame, means for moving the carriage, a rack on the carriage, a locking dog a rock shaft on the frame, means on the rocker for releasing the locking dog, and feed dogs on the rock shaft having a plurality of teeth for engaging and feeding a printing device.

9.,In an addressing machine for making impressions from printing devices having a plurality .of lines of type characters, the combination of a stamper arm, a platen carried by the stamper-arm, an attachment frame, a carriage adapted to carry a sheet to be printed in a right line in successive steps throu h printing position, means operated by t e stamper arm for controlling the movement of said carriage, feed dogs for feeding a printing device into im ression position relative to the platen, an means actuated by the stamper arm for operating said-feed dogs.

10. In an addressing machine for making impressions from printing devices having a plurality of lines of type characters, the combination of a stamper arm, a platen carried by the stamper arm, an attachment frame, a carriage movable on the attachment frame for carrying a sheet to be printed in a right line in successive ste s through printing position, means contro led by the platen arm for feeding the carriage, a rock shaft, feed dogs actuated by the rock shaft, said dogs having a plurality of teeth spaced. ac-

cording to the line spacing or the printing device to engage and feed the printing device, and means controlled by the platen arm for operating said rock shaft.

11. In an addressing machine for making impressions from print' devices having a plurallty of lines 0 type c aracters, the combination of a stamper arm,'a platen arm carried by the stamper arm, an attachment frame, a carriage movable freely in one direction laterally and mov able intermittently in the opposite direction on the frame and carrying a sheet in printing position, means operated by the stamper arm for controlling the intermittent movement of the carriage, means controlled by the stamper arm for moving a printing device in printing position one type line at a time, and means for coordinating the carriage feed and the printing device feed to align successive impressions of separate lines of type characters in a straight line across the sheet.

12. In an addressing machine for making impressions from printing devices having a plurality of lines of type characters, the combination of a stamper arm, a platen arm carried by the stamper arm, an attachment frame, a carriage movable freely in one direction laterally and movable intermittently in the opposite direction on the frame and carrying a sheet in printing position, a rock shaft mounted in said frame, feed dogs carried by said shaft for moving the printing device-in printing position one type line at a time, a rocker mounted in the frame for actuating said rock shaft, means operated by the rocker for controlling the intermittent movement of the carriage, and connections between the rocker and the platen arm to effect movement of the-printing device and of the carriage after each impression operation.

13. The method of printing characters on a sheet in a single line from a printing device having such characters contained in several superposed lines, which consists in superposing the sheet and printing device, printing an upper line only of the printing device and then moving the paper sheet horizontally to one side and also moving the printing device relatively to the paper sheet to position a lower line of the printing device in position to be printed at one side of and in line with the previously printed line of characters on the sheet.

14. The method of printing characters 9n a sheet in a single line from a printing device having such characters contained in several superposed lines which consists in moving the paper sheet successively in the direction of the lines of printing thereon and in moving the printing device relative to the paper sheet and at right angles to said direction of movement of the sheet to align the impressions of the several lines of printing characters of the printing devices in succession in the same line on the paper sheet.

15. The method of printing characters on a sheet in a single line from a printing device having such characters contained in several superimposed lines which consists in moving the printing device to bring the several lines in succession into the same printing position and at the same time moving the paper sheet sidewise to position successive printed lines of characters beside and in the same horizontal line with a previously printed line of characters.

16. A printing machine adapted to print at one operation but one line of a printing device having a plurality of printing lines including means to hold the printing device in successive positions wherein successive lines of characters thereof are located successively in printing position, and a paper support movable in the general direction of the lines of printing characters of the printing device. I

17. The method of printing characters on a sheet in a single line from a printing device having such characters contained in several superposed lines, which consists in moving the printing device to position the printing lines thereof one at a time into the same printing position, and moving the sheet to bring portions of the same line of the paper sheet successively into the same printing position and with the sheet and printing device in superposed relation.

HENRY E. HUBBARD. 

